Samsung Foundry’s poor yields have been in all probability the biggest purpose why
Samsung determined to not use the home-grown Exynos 2500 software processor (AP) on the
Galaxy S25 flagship collection. Usually, Samsung would have had the
Galaxy S25 and
Galaxy S25+ powered by the Exynos 2500 AP in all markets apart from the US, China, and Canada (which is NOT a US state or territory). In these markets, the
Galaxy S25 and
Galaxy S25+ are geared up with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. The highest-of-the-line
Galaxy S25 Extremely sports activities the identical Snapdragon AP in all areas.
Dropping the Exynos 2500 for the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy price Samsung a whopping $400 million because the producer needed to shell out massive bucks to Qualcomm for the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoCs to exchange Sammy’s personal Exynos 2500 chips. $400 million is nothing to sneeze at. Samsung absolutely does not wish to have to write down one other massive examine to Qualcomm for the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy AP. In consequence, Samsung Foundry is tough at work making an attempt to get its yield for the Exynos 2600 as much as the 70% stage that almost all foundries prefer to see earlier than they mass-produce a chip.
Tipster writes a tweet about Samsung’s doable use of the Exynos 2600 AP on restricted Galaxy S26 collection items. | Picture credit-X
The Exynos 2600 AP goes to be produced on Samsung Foundry’s 2nm course of node. Trial manufacturing at that node generated solely a 30% yield price for Samsung Foundry so even when Sammy determined {that a} 60% yield could be okay, there’s nonetheless some work that needs to be finished. The danger for Samsung is that the yields of the Exynos 2600 stay low sufficient that Samsung cannot construct sufficient chips to cowl its wants.
Tipster
@Jukanlosreve opened the “X” app to put up a tweet that makes loads of sense. In it, he writes that with Samsung’s 2nm node nonetheless delivering worrisome yields, use of the Exynos 2600 for Galaxy AP will likely be restricted to European variations of the
Galaxy S26 and
Galaxy S26+. He provides that an unnamed business supply knowledgeable him that at 3nm, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 delivers a efficiency benefit over the 2nm Exynos 2600 SoC. That may very well be nice for US patrons of the
Galaxy S26 and
Galaxy S26+.
All Samsung desires to keep away from right here is paying Qualcomm to equip each Galaxy S26 unit with its newest flagship AP which was the case with the Galaxy S25 line. Samsung reportedly has till the third quarter of this 12 months to complete the Exynos 2600 design for the AP to even stand an opportunity of powering some Galaxy S26 items subsequent 12 months.
